Father's Day weekend will be dangerously hot, meteorologists warn

Students from Whitney Young High School enjoy the lake between Oak Street and North Avenue beaches June 14, 2018. A heat wave will send temperatures into the 90s this weekend.

Students from Whitney Young High School enjoy the lake between Oak Street and North Avenue beaches June 14, 2018. A heat wave will send temperatures into the 90s this weekend. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)

In true summer fashion, a heat wave is expected to bring temperatures nearing triple digits and a brutal dose of humidity over a sunny Father’s Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Anticipating highs up to 98 degrees, the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for Cook County between Saturday morning and Monday evening. And the city is keeping a cooling center open 24 hours this weekend to help people escape the oppressive conditions, according to spokeswoman Cristina Villarreal.

Indeed, meteorologists say it will feel more like 100 to 105 degrees in peak afternoon hours. Even sundown won’t offer much relief — the heat index will hover at or above 80 degrees into the overnight hours.

The heat wave is caused by “warm air coming into the area, and that’s usually brought in by southwesterly winds,” said Charles Mott, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Romeoville office.

Those looking to cool off with a dip in Lake Michigan should remember that water temperatures are still on the colder end, Mott said. On Thursday morning, the water measured 65 degrees at the Chicago shore. The heat wave is not expected to have a significant warming effect on the water because it is still early in the season, Mott said.

The wind direction is going to also keep the lakefront warm, blowing the hot air toward the beaches, said meteorologist Jamie Enderlen.

Until now, Chicagoans haven’t had too many chances to bask in the summertime warmth. Just one evening in June had exceeded 70 degrees, and four out of the first 13 days of this month were below 60 degrees after sundown. There were flashes of summer last month, however, when two days in late May reached 95 degrees, Mott said.

In the coming days, the city is going to be hotter than the surrounding suburbs because of the “urban heat island effect,” the weather service said on its Twitter page. That’s because the city’s concrete and pavement trap and retain heat across the dense region. That difference will be felt most at night when city temperatures remain in the 80s — up to 10 degrees warmer than the suburbs.

Still, Elk Grove Village is taking no chances. Citing extreme heat, officials on Friday canceled the annual Hometown Parade, which was scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Prolonged bouts of this weather can be dangerous for older adults and people with heart illnesses, the weather service warned. People should be aware of the signs of heat stroke or exhaustion, which include headache, nausea and muscle cramps.

Chicago residents can call 311 to request well-being checks for elderly friends or family members, or for information on the nearest cooling center.

The city is keeping the Garfield Center at 10 S. Kedzie Ave. on the West Side open as a cooling center for 24 hours over the weekend. People seeking shelter can also find cooling centers at public libraries or police stations during excessive heat, or at the city’s 21 senior centers.